Results from Test Project

Fall 2023

[1] TRUE

[1] TRUE

Farm 146

Thank the participating farmer. Consider including infomration related to how many samples you’ve taken, in how many crops and regions. Consider identifying members of the project team and acknowledging support from your funders and collaborators.

Soil Health

Soil health is a term that describes how well a soil ecosystem supports plants, animals, and humans. It also recognizes the living nature of soils and the importance of soil microorganisms. Healthy soils can provide wildlife habitat, support biodiversity, reduce the effects of climate change, filter air and water, increase crop productivity and food security, and ensure thriving rural economies.

Qualities of a Healthy Agricultural Soil

Good soil tilth allows roots to penetrate
Near neutral pH (6–8) maximizes nutrient availability for most crops, and minimizes Al and Mn toxicity
Sufficient—but not excessive—nutrient supply for crop growth
Small population of plant pathogens and pests
Adequate soil drainage and infiltration
Diverse and active microbial population
Low weed seed bank
No residual chemicals or toxins that may harm the crop, including salts
Resistance to degradation such as from erosion or surface runoff

Soil Science 101

A crucial part of the soil health journey is measuring changes in your soil and understanding how to interpret those measurements. We can measure soil health with a range of indicators describing a soil’s physical, chemical, and biological properties, which can relate to important soil functions. Each indicator measures a different property of the soil and can be affected differently by management.

To learn more about management practices that support healthy soil, check out these resources from the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) principles of building soil health.

What We Measured in Your Soil

Potentially Mineralizable Carbon (MinC, frequently referred to as “Soil Respiration”) measures the release of carbon dioxide (CO₂) from soil. This measurement is done in a laboratory incubation under controlled conditions “ideal” for microbes. The term mineralization refers to the process in which soil microbes produce CO₂ as they decompose SOM and plant residues. This process also releases other nutrients, like nitrogen, which can be taken up by crops. Higher MinC represents greater potential biological activity. Soils with lower SOM will have inherently lower MinC, while compacted soils may not provide adequate aeration for the mineralization process.

Electrical Conductivity (EC) measures the concentration of salts in the soil. Excessive salts can stress plants and lower crop yield and quality, as well as impact soil structure, infiltration rates, and water holding capacity. In particular, sodium (Na) can cause crusting and dispersion of soil particles, leading to surface runoff and erosion. Crops in sodium-affected soils (sodic soils) may also have challenges taking up other essential salts such as Ca, Mg, and K.

Soil Health Indicators

The below table describes: 1. What each indicator helps measure in your soil; 2. Whether you want the measured value to be higher (more is better), lower (less is better), or in the middle (optimal range); and 3. How often to measure each indicator. Our understanding of these indicators is rapidly evolving as researchers measure them in diverse soils, cropping systems, and climates.

More is better scoring curve Optimal range scoring curve Less is better scoring curve

Soil Health Indicator	Soil Function	Scoring Curve Type
Measure every: 1-3 years
ACE Soil Protein	Nutrient cycling, biodiversity & habitat, filtering & resilience	More is better
Aggregate Stability	Physical support, water relations, biodiversity & habitat, filtering & resilience	More is better
Electrical Conductivity (EC)	Physical support, nutrient cycling, filtering & resilience	Less is better
Mineralizable Carbon	Nutrient cycling, biodiversity & habitat, filtering & resilience	More is better
Permanganate Oxidizable Carbon (POXC)	Biodiversity & habitat, nutrient cycling, filtering & resilience	More is better
Potentially Mineralizable Nitrogen (PMN)	Nutrient cycling, biodiversity & habitat, filtering & resilience	More is better
Soil pH	Nutrient cycling, filtering & resilience	Optimal range
Total Nitrogen	Nutrient cycling, biodiversity & habitat, filtering & resilience	Optimal range
Plant Essential Nutrients	Nutrient cycling	Optimal range
Measure every: 3-5 years
Bulk Density	Physical support, water relations, biodiversity & habitat, filtering & resilience	Optimal range
Cation Exchange Capacity	Nutrient cycling, filtering & resilience	More is better
Infiltration	Water relations, physical support	More is better
Soil Organic Matter (SOM)	Nutrient cycling, filtering & resilience	More is better
Water Holding Capacity (WHC)	Water relations, physical support	More is better

Soil Health Testing

Your Fields

Sample ID	Field ID	Field Name	Crop	Longitude	Latitude
23-CKJ01-02	2	Field 02	Cereal Grain	-118	48

Project Results

Below are tables and graphs describing the physical, biological, and chemical measurements from your soils. Each point represents a sample we collected. Take a look to see how your fields compare to others in the project. All samples were collected from [EDIT: SOIL DEPTH (e.g. 0-6 inches, or 0-30 cm)].

Physical

Field or Average	Texture	Sand	Silt	Clay	Bulk Density	Agg. Stability	WHC
		%			g/cm³	%	in/ft
Field 02	Silt Loam	27	62	11	1.1	84	2.2
Cereal Grain Average (7 Fields)	Silt Loam	42	43	15	1.2	84	2.0
County 15 Average (6 Fields)	Silt Loam	29	59	11	1.2	85	2.2
Project Average (100 Fields)	Silt Loam	43	43	14	1.1	90	1.7
Values ≥ project average have darker backgrounds. Values < project average have lighter backgrounds.

Biological

Field or Average	Organic Matter	Min C	POXC	PMN	ACE Protein
	%	mg/kg/day	ppm	lb/ac	g/kg
Field 02	4.0	47	290	50	4.6
Cereal Grain Average (7 Fields)	4.7	40	400	75	7.3
County 15 Average (6 Fields)	2.7	29	260	59	4.7
Project Average (100 Fields)	5.8	50	530	99	8.5
Values ≥ project average have darker backgrounds. Values < project average have lighter backgrounds.

Chemical

Field or Average	pH	EC	CEC	Total C	TOC
		mmhos/cm	cmolc/kg	%
Field 02	5.4	0.57	14	1.3	1.3
Cereal Grain Average (7 Fields)	5.7	0.41	14	2.5	2.5
County 15 Average (6 Fields)	6.0	0.45	13	1.1	1.1
Project Average (100 Fields)	6.1	0.74	15	2.9	2.9
Values ≥ project average have darker backgrounds. Values < project average have lighter backgrounds.

Plant Essential Macro Nutrients

Field or Average	Total N	NO₃-N	NH₄-N	P	K	Ca	Mg	S
	%	ppm
Field 02	0.13	22	28.0	25	650	1,500	170	10.0
Cereal Grain Average (7 Fields)	0.18	12	10.0	28	350	1,900	250	23.0
County 15 Average (6 Fields)	0.12	11	8.4	16	500	1,600	230	6.6
Project Average (100 Fields)	0.21	17	9.0	41	330	2,100	350	24.0
Values ≥ project average have darker backgrounds. Values < project average have lighter backgrounds.

Plant Essential Micro Nutrients

Field or Average	B	Fe	Mn	Cu	Zn	Na
	ppm
Field 02	0.25	61	12.0	1.10	0.60	39
Cereal Grain Average (7 Fields)	0.25	65	12.0	1.80	1.10	24
County 15 Average (6 Fields)	0.26	42	8.4	0.95	0.77	74
Project Average (100 Fields)	0.39	94	8.5	2.10	3.80	48
Values ≥ project average have darker backgrounds. Values < project average have lighter backgrounds.

Download your data

Looking Forward

Consider describing how this data will be used. Are you building decision support tools? Publications? Will you be speaking at upcoming field days or conferences about this work? Soils data can be confusing… let your audience know that this is just the start of the conversation! Thank participating producers once again.

Acknowledgement

This report was generated using the {soils} R package. {soils} was developed by the Washington State Department of Agriculture and Washington State University, as part of the Washington Soil Health Initiative. Text and figures were adapted from WSU Extension publication #FS378E Soil Health in Washington Vineyards. Learn more about {soils} in this blog post or this webinar.